Legacies
by stellariums
Summary: We're all stories in the end. We keep moving forward through life, always turning the page and writing in pen that we can't erase. But if we really are nothing more than stories, then we should make ours a good one. Legacies aren't names on tombstones. They're written in the hearts and minds of others and the stories they share about you. — XY novelization, KalosShipping. [REWRITE]
1. The First Bud

_ive decided to **rewrite** this fic! i didnt like how i wrote the kids before (also the doc containing my plot outline is on my old laptop which decided to kill itself before i could move everything to dropbo_ _x_ _, rest in pieces)  
_

 _for everyone new to this story, legacies is an xy novelization thats definitely based off the games but takes the same storytelling liberties as pokespe. im expanding and remixing xys plot, and while the original is still there its going to be really different at the same time. xy had the weakest story of all the games imho, but that opens it to a lot of interpretation and ways to make each novelization unique! i hope you stick with us and enjoy the ride!_

* * *

 **Legacies**

 **by stellariums**

 **[Chapter I: The First Bud]**

* * *

 _"If I am worth anything later, I am worth something now._  
 _For wheat is wheat, even if people think it is a grass in the beginning."_

— Vincent Van Gogh

* * *

Sunlight softly trickled over the rooftops, flooding slowly into the tiny town of Vaniville. Its residents began to rouse themselves from slumber, ready to start a new day. Wild fletchling began their morning song as curtains were pulled back and doors were opened, the smell of breakfast cooking starting to fill the air. Adults began to set up tables in the town square with the aide of their pokémon, and children began to coax their friends out of their beds and out to play.

It was another day of tradition that hadn't been broken in decades: Vanivillers were famous in the Kalos region for waking early and eating breakfast together in the square. With such a tiny population, this was incredibly easy and there wasn't anything particularly unpleasant about it, unless you didn't really like waking up early or being around people.

Serena Leclair, unfortunately for all who ever had to wake her or get her to spend time with them, was one of those people.

"Rise and shine, kiddo!" Grace Bellamy, who lacked her namesake as she clumsily flung open the curtains, was not sympathetic in the least when the blonde flinched away from the sunlight and buried herself further in her blanket nest.

"Serenaaa," Grace whined, shaking the girl. "It's our first day in town, please don't embarrass me by sleeping in!"

The girl murmured something in her sleep that was muffled by her pillow, but Grace knew her well enough to tell it was probably something along the lines of " _go away_ " or _"five more hours."_

"Serena Rose Leclair, you better get up right now!" There was silence again, and as the seconds ticked by Grace tensed, bracing herself to grab a corner of one of the blankets to flip the girl onto the floor. Finally, Serena rolled over and stared up at her tiredly. She opened her mouth to speak, and for a foolish moment Grace felt hopeful. Sadly, the small bud of hope was quickly squashed.

"No."

Grace's howl of frustration echoed throughout the small town, rudely disrupting the fletchlings' song.

* * *

-:-

* * *

Serena was not a people person. It was obvious, seeing that she usually went out of her way to avoid others, and even now she was struggling to not stare at her breakfast. Not falling asleep again was also a challenge, though the endless babble of all the Vanivillers definitely helped. Many of her new neighbours openly gawked at the two newcomers and whispered to each other in Kalosian, while their pokémon watched her curiously. She poked at her food until most of the stares were redirected elsewhere, finding herself physically incapable of eating while others were watching.

"Hey, Serena!" Grace exclaimed suddenly, acknowledging Serena's existence for the first time since she dragged her out of bed. Naturally, she timed this shout at the exact second Serena began to eat. That attracted the attention of everyone else at their table back to Serena, and she forced herself to not sink into her seat out of embarrassment. "Chantelle here was telling me about her kids! She has a son your age, I bet you two could be friends! Wanna meet him?"

At once all the eavesdroppers were talking much louder, eager to get the newest addition to their town to make a friend. Face red in embarrassment, Serena shot up from her chair, legs immediately threatening to give out. The sound of her fork clattering onto her plate made them stop, the concerned silence even worse than the overwhelming chatter.

"Thank you for the offer but I'm going home now!" she blurted, fleeing the table immediately. Grace spluttered protests behind her, and the Vanivillers exchanged worried murmurs, but Serena was already down the path and in her yard before any of them could make a move to stop her or offer to pack up her breakfast to-go.

Serena didn't stop shaking even once she collapsed on the grass next to Grace's rhyhorn, hands going up to pull her honey hair in stress.

 _Gah, why did I do that?_ she griped internally, wringing her hands in distress. _I'll never change if I keep running away._

The rhyhorn made a grunt next to her, nudging her in the side gently, eyes still closed. Though the pokémon was a giant, sharp chunk of stone, there was something soothing about the action that broke Serena out of her daze and calmed her down.

"Good morning, Hen," she greeted a few moments later, running a hand over the rock-type's side as she sat up, brushing grass and dirt off her hair and back. Hen opened one eye to lazily watch her scoot over to him and press her back against him. "Today started perfectly." The rhyhorn snorted, shaking his head as she pulled her messages up on her phone in hopes there was something that could distract her.

( _1 text from the bestest friend ever!)_

— _heeeeyylo dearest rena! :) hows the new neighbourhood?—_

The text was from the day before, when Serena was still unpacking. She didn't really know her timezones, but if it was this early in Kalos there was very little chance for her friend to be awake. Sighing, Serena typed back a reply and cursed the poor signal in Vaniville.

—grace still won't take off her racing suit! if i don't scare the neighbours off and force us to move again, she definitely will.—

It really had to be some ungodly hour in the morning back home, but her friend replied almost immediately. _—lol! but seriously rena, how are you holding up?—_

—i don't know, it feels strange to be settling down in one place. why are you still awake?—

 _—youve only been there for one day! alsooo i needed to check on u!—_ Reading the message, Serena giggled, glad that even if she was an entire region away nothing would change with the few friends she had.

—you sound like an old lady. and don't lie, you're marathoning some tv show, aren't you?—

 _—youre the youngest! we feel obligated to protect the baby of the group haha! and ur the one making up lies—_ Serena smiled at her phone, warmth washing over her. The feeling shriveled when the next text followed through. — _hey, have you ever tried asking aunt grace to go on a journey?—_

—i cant, not yet.—

 _—:(_ —

—...i'm a little scared.—

— _oh, sweetheart..._ —

—go to sleep, leaf. i'll talk to you later.—

Pocketing her phone, Serena rested her head back against Hen and closed her eyes. He made a low grumbling noise, like he wanted to say something. But whatever it was the rhyhorn had to say, she'd never hear, since the after-effects of being woken up early caught up to her at that moment. Hen huffed, dutifully keeping still to avoid waking her as she slumped against his side.

Serena was asleep for a good fifteen minutes when the gates to the village, which were next to Serena's house, swung open with a loud creak. Laughter and footsteps sounded in the street. The first voice that became clear sounded like it belonged to a young girl, bubbly and way too loud for this early in the morning. Though she was at first telling a story about something or another, she got quickly distracted and changed the topic as their voices drew closer to Serena's yard.

"Hey, hey, Calem, you said you got new neighbours, right?" The mystery girl paused for a moment, presumably to let her friend silently make some sort of response. "I want to meet them! Trainers come and go all the time in Santalune, but you never get new neighbours!"

"Absolutely not," the boy said immediately, his tone leaving no room for argument. "No one likes being thrust into the spotlight right away, Shauna. Leave them alone. We can introduce ourselves once they get settled."

"But that will take forever!"

"Trust me, it'll be a lot quicker if you left them alone."

Ignoring her friend, the girl skipped over to the entrance and waltzed right in without a moment of hesitation.

"Helloooo, Calem's new neighbour! Oh, she's asleep!"

"Shauna, I told you not to!"

Hen's growl of suspicion woke Serena up, and she blinked sleepily at the two figures in the entry. The boy paled at the sight of the intimidating rock-type and tugged the girl back back into the safety of the entry. Serena placed a hand on Hen's head as she stretched and stood up to greet the newcomers, doing her best to hide the nervous and reluctant tone her voice wanted to take.

"Who're you?" she asked, as Hen pressed against her side to steady her. _You can do this, Serena!_ she told herself. "Don't worry about Hen. He's all bark and no bite." The derisive snort Hen made probably wasn't helpful, but the boy stepped forward slowly anyway.

"Uh, hello. I'm Calem, your next door neighbour, and this is my friend Shauna. Sorry for intruding." Serena shook the hand he offered her, taking a moment to examine the two.

Calem's dark hair reached past his ears in a style that was a surprisingly good look for him, and his gray eyes were bright and aware as he lowered his hand back to his side and stayed still when Hen gave him a critical glare. He looked like someone who hung around pokémon often, knowing to stay still until the rhyhorn decided to trust him and settle down. She envied the sort of confidence he was carrying himself with.

In contrast to the calm, tall, and collected boy, Shauna was small and a little chubby, bright eyes and strangely-styled pigtails emphasizing her young and excited appearance. She seemed to be a ball of energy, bouncing up and down with poorly contained excitement despite Calem urging her to settle down. Though he examined this girl even harsher than Calem, Hen eventually closed his eyes again and the two were able to join Serena on the grass.

"I'm Serena," she said, trying to sound friendly and welcoming yet knowing she was failing.

"You're not really one to talk much, huh," Calem assumed. Serena flinched, expecting some sort of ridicule or unhelpful reassurance like _'don't be shy!'_ to follow. To her immense surprise, Calem's eyes widened at the sight and he quickly went to apologize. "That was rude, wasn't it? I'm sorry, I'm too used to my friends shouting at each other. We won't force you to talk if you don't feel like it."

That was... a first. People usually disregarded what she wanted and dragged her into conversations when she was clearly uncomfortable with it. Calem must have sensed things were that way too, by the way he smiled kindly at her.

Shauna didn't seem like the type to read people, but she was sweet in her own way. "Oh, I wish we had time to introduce you to our other friends!" she said wistfully. "You and Trevy would get along sooo great! He's pretty quiet too, but he's really nice!"

"We're leaving tomorrow to start our journey," Calem explained, scratching his ear. For a moment Serena felt something like disappointment _— but why?_

While she tried to make sense of the strange emotion, Calem was eyeing her, almost as if sizing her up. "I just got an idea. Wait a sec, I'm gonna make a phone call!"

He nearly tripped over Shauna as he stood suddenly and rushed off, turning the corner to what Serena presumed was his house. The small brunette shrugged when Serena looked at her questionably, and began to talk about what they were going to do on their journey.

Surprisingly, Serena found herself a little at ease around the smaller girl, content to let her do most of the talking. Shauna talked non-stop but she didn't demand anything but just a fraction of Serena's attention.

Calem returned about fifteen minutes later with a wide grin and a plastic bag of cookies which he handed to Serena.

"Where's mine?" Shauna demanded, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him when he sat down.

"Mom baked them as a welcome present," he said with a shrug, before turning to the blonde, who was already tentatively nibbling one of the assorted cookies. "Hey, Serena, what do you think about going on our journey with us?"

Shauna completely forgot about the cookies as she made a little squeal of delight, clapping her hands excitedly in agreement. Calem beamed, pleased that his companion approved of the idea, but tried to soothe his expression to a neutral one while waiting for Serena to respond.

The girl in question was stunned, eyes wide in disbelief. It must have been a sign, for sure! Her big chance, what she needed to grow, just happened to wander into her front yard. Yet...

Every possible con flew into her mind at once and overwhelmed her. "I-I couldn't possibly impose on you and your friends," she spluttered. "And I'm not really used to pokémon. I'd just get in the way."

"You wouldn't be imposing at all!" Shauna insisted, dismay written more clearly in her eyes and in the curl of her lips. "You're our friend now, we want you to go with us! And po—"

"Don't worry about it," Calem said easily, hiding his disappointment better than Shauna. "You don't have to make a decision right away. We're leaving Aquacorde tomorrow at noon."

They stayed with her for a while after that, keeping the topic far away from adventures and pokémon. Serena found herself slowly growing comfortable with them, spurred on by Shauna's fast-growing affection and Calem's nods of reassurance. It was only after Grace returned from breakfast and the two introduced themselves that they parted ways, Calem promising to sit next to her at breakfast the next day and Shauna expressing her hopes that they would see each other again.

Making a decision was going to be even harder than she thought.

* * *

-:-

* * *

"So, do you think Serena will go with you?" Chantelle Chevalier asked, looking up from her newspaper at her son. Calem's ears burned red, hidden under his long hair, and he determinedly looked away from his mother as he checked his bag for the fifth time to make sure he had everything he needed.

"She probably won't," he said evenly, like it wasn't a big deal. And it wasn't! Really! He didn't want to force his new friend into anything she didn't want to do. If she decided to stay, it would be fine. It wasn't like he planned on never returning to Vaniville once he left.

He still really wanted her to come with him, though.

His mother knew it too. "Why did you invite her if you think that, then?" she asked, adding teasingly, "You like her, don't you." She giggled when Calem went through his bag for a sixth time, clearly refusing to make eye contact with her.

"She looked like she needed a friend," he admitted quietly, trying not to fiddle with the bag strap. Chantelle smiled, expression soft.

"She seemed uncomfortable at breakfast yesterday," she said, more seriously. "But when you sat down with her today I saw her smile."

"There's... a sort of sadness to her." Calem sighed. "No one deserves to be sad."

"You're just like your father," Chantelle said, ruffling his hair affectionately, missing the way Calem's expression fell at the comparison. The sudden desire to shove his mother's hand away bit at him hard, but he pushed it down.

There was a hesitant knock on the front door, one that nearly made Calem stop breathing. The doors in Vaniville were never locked, and everyone dropped in as they pleased. His friends learned that quickly too and simply barged in. That meant the only person who could be on the other side was...

A blur of yellow and blue shot down the stairs, followed by a rush of pokémon chattering loudly. The youngest Chevalier, Anaïs, threw open the door open onto a terrified and now shocked Serena.

The first thing Calem registered was that she wasn't wearing the plain hoodie and skirt from the day before, but a pink and white dress with a matching hat. Her hair wasn't in a ponytail either, instead loose three-quarters of the way and tied off with a band. The thought that she was cuter with her hair down passed through Calem's mind briefly. She was gripping the strap of her messenger bag, wearing an expression suggesting she was very close to fleeing.

"Are you Calem's girlfriend?" Anaïs demanded, the family lillipups and skittys bouncing around their feet.

Calem yelled "Anaïs!" in a panic. The way Serena's anxiety shot up from both the question and the pokémon swarming her was clear on her face, and she looked helplessly at him from the door. He was up on his feet in a heartbeat, dragging his sister from the door and shooing their pets back into the house, Anaïs pouting the whole time. By the time he returned, he found his mother talking to Serena.

"...choice," Serena was saying, fiddling with the skirt of her dress. "Grace encouraged me, but in the end it was my decision."

Chantelle smiled, pleased at the statement. "That's good. And you won't be alone either— Calem will be looking after you the whole while. Isn't that right, sweetie?"

He knew Shauna and the others would definitely wander off to do their own thing occasionally, but Calem didn't want Serena to be alone, especially since inviting her was his idea. He didn't mind her presence either, so of course he would stay with her if she wanted him to. Not trusting himself to not say something embarrassing, Calem nodded wordlessly, smiling at Serena. She relaxed at that, though the pink tint in both their cheeks refused to die down.

"You ought to be going!" Chantelle sang, pushing the two off the front porch. She ruffled Calem's hair once more as she did, grinning at the noise of indignation he made. "Make Vaniville proud, you two! And don't forget to call in sometimes!"

"It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Chevalier," Serena managed to say, Chantelle grinning in response.

"Bye!" Anaïs shouted from behind her mother, sounding like she was close to crying. The door closed behind them as they stumbled onto the path, cutting off the sounds of the Chevalier pets shouting. Serena blinked in confusion, wondering if that was really how Calem's family was sending him off.

"My family's not one for emotional goodbyes," Calem explained, laughing a bit awkwardly. "Did you say goodbye to yours already?" Serena nodded in confirmation, glancing at her house as they passed it. She didn't want a chance to back out of her decision or a possibility of crying in front of Calem. There was no going back from this point on.

They turned the corner to the town gate, stopping there for a few moments and looking back at their hometown. Serena didn't protest; Vaniville was Calem's home. He was born and raised there, and Serena wasn't familiar with the very concept of staying in one place for long.

Calem seemed to be bracing himself to leave, taking in a deep breath as he rested one hand on the gate. Without really thinking about it, he grabbed Serena's hand with his free one, squeezing it as he pushed the gate open.

"Let's go, neighbour!" he said with a grin as the door swung open onto Route 1, smile growing larger when Serena hesitantly responded with one of her own. "Our journey starts now!"

* * *

 **Serena Rose Leclair**

\- Fairy-type. Pixilate ability. Timid nature, nods off a lot. Met in Vaniville Town at Level 16. Seems to have traveled across time and space to reach the Kalos region from an unknown region. Yawn | Rest | Flower Shield | Natural Gift.

\- Fair skin, honey blonde hair, waist-length, has bangs, amber eyes, 5'4", slender and mild curves, has a few faded scars on her legs and arms. Origin of the scars unknown, but suggest possible clumsiness. She moves carefully and slowly, reluctant to go too fast. Constantly looks tired, fidgets with hair when nervous.

\- A shy, introverted girl, she's awkward around large groups of people and seems a little nervous around pokemon too. She opens up a bit around those she's comfortable with, and has a sort of strength stemming from her desire to change. The one with the worst back pain.


	2. A Spring In Our Steps

_the editing might be a little rushed because we just got splatoon and ive been playing nonstop oops_

 _movesets are a little advanced, to make battles easier to write!_

* * *

 **Legacies**

 **by stellariums**

 **[Chapter II : A Spring In Our Steps]**

* * *

 _"I do believe in the power of story._

 _I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings, that they can stimulate, amaze and inspire their listeners."_

— _Hayao Miyazaki_

* * *

Route 1, dubbed the Vaniville Pathway by both the locals of Vaniville and Aquacorde, was a fifteen minute walk between the two small towns. Tall trees and brightly coloured flowers grew freely on each side of its stone path, making it a beautiful sight in spring. Anyone bored enough to wander south of Santalune only did so to visit the route, and as their run slowed to a walk Serena herself admired the scenery around her and Calem. Kalos was gorgeous, she had to admit, and while she recognized many of the flowers there were also species she was unfamiliar with. Speaking of unfamiliar...

The worry seed planted itself in her mind the night before. Shauna was clearly happy to have her join their group, but that didn't necessarily mean that their other two friends would as well. She was already nervous enough about leaving home to travel with a group of strangers; what if they didn't even like her?

She was so caught up in the wave of anxiety she missed how Calem pulled them to a complete stop until he waved his free hand in front of her face. Startled, she took a step back and in the process let go of his hand. As his fingers brushed past hers, Serena blushed as she wondered how she hadn't even realized he'd been holding her hand the entire time.

"Hey," Calem said, not seeming to notice what she had. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweater, looking more serious. "I don't know if Shauna told you this or not, but I still should have said something anyway. My friends and I are students of Professor Sycamore, Kalos' regional Pokémon Professor. The purpose of our journey is to help him in his research, specifically with the Pokédex—"

"The Pokédex Project," Serena realized, heart starting to beat faster. The image of a blazing fire flashed through her mind— she could almost smell the smoke, hear the _screams_ —

"Is there a problem?" Calem asked tentatively, seeing the way she froze. Serena shook her head, smiling at him weakly as she willed her breathing back to normal.

"I just wish I knew what I was signing up for beforehand," she said, twisting and tugging a lock of hair tightly around her fingers. "The Dex owners are really famous..." _And tragedy follows them wherever they go._ She berated herself for the thought immediately, and for the feeling of dread that followed.

Calem ran a hand through his hair in an agitated way, starting to move forward again. Serena followed half a step behind, eyes trained on the ground. "I should have told you before, I'm sorry. Honestly, I thought Shauna would mention it at least once, but—"

"It's okay," Serena interrupted. "I don't intend to back out." Now that she knew, part of her wished she could, but she'd already gathered all of her courage just to leave Vaniville. "Did you... so, how did you convince the professor to let me join?"

"Ah, that phone call." From the corner of her eye, Serena noticed something weird— was his face turning pink? It might just be her imagination. "It wasn't anything special. I just told him I had a new neighbour with a lot of potential, and..."

"Is that all?" Serena asked in spite of herself, feeling a little disappointed.

Calem caught onto that instantly. "N-Not to say that you're not special or anything!" he backtracked, ears turning red. "You're interesting, that's why I wanted you to— no, no, wait— ack— gah."

Lucky for Calem (and Serena, whose face was also starting to heat up), they'd just passed beneath Aquacorde's south arch and Serena was distracted by the view. A tall terrace, which they currently stood on, and a staircase divided the upper and lower parts of the town, buildings encircling the edges of both the terrace and square below. A river sparkled past the buildings on the ground below, separating the town from a forest.

Scanning the upper level, which was littered with tables, she spotted two boys seated at a pair to the left of the entrance. Shauna was nowhere in sight, but the flustered Calem made a beeline towards them anyway, ears still red. Serena trailed behind him slowly, hoping to avoid tripping and embarrassing herself.

"What happened to you?" one of the boys exclaimed, laughing as Calem sat down in one of the chairs across from them and pulled out the seat next to him for Serena to take. The one who spoke was across from Calem, tall, heavyset, with a big grin and spiky hair. He partially stood from his chair to shake Serena's hand as she joined them.

"Hey!" he greeted. "You're Serena, right? I'm Tierno, great to meet you!" He seemed just as loud and cheerful as Shauna, but also softer somehow. Though a little intimidated by his size, Serena tried to smile back.

"You too," she said. The boy to Tierno's right, the shortest with the mop of ginger hair, put away the thick book he was reading to shake Serena's hand as well.

"I'm Trevor," he said, looking just as nervous as she did. "It's nice to meet you, Serena." It was odd, seeing someone as quiet as her with such energetic friends, but if Trevor could fit in with such a group then maybe she could too. Both boys seemed welcoming enough, at least.

"Shauna's been telling us about you," Tierno told her as he leaned forward, chuckling when Serena paled. "Or at least, she was before she left to get snacks. And only good things, I promise. You just moved to Kalos, right? Where are you from?"

 _It's just one simple question, Serena,_ she told herself. _It'll be fine._ "We didn't stay in one place for long before moving here. I grew up in Kanto, though."

Tierno's face lit up. "Kanto? I have family in Pewter! What city?"

Serena fidgeted, hands clenched in her lap. She could easily lie, say Viridian or Celadon. But didn't she decide to change? Change meant moving on, and lying felt wrong anyway.

"Pallet," she told him, knowing her voice was starting to tremble and praying Trevor and Calem would assume it to be out of nervousness.

"Huh. Never heard of it before." Yet as he said that, sympathy shone in his eyes. Of course he knew; anyone with relations to Kanto knew. "Small town?"

"Just a tiny place," she confirmed, forcing her voice into steadiness. "Easy to miss."

Rightfully assuming she wanted to change the topic, Tierno clapped his hands together. "Anyway, how do you feel about a nickname, Serena? I think Lady S suits you!"

"Li'l S!" Shauna shouted, slamming a plastic box of cupcakes on the table. The others jumped in their seats, frightened by her sudden appearance. "She's totally a Li'l S! Right, Trevy?"

"Shauna, you can't just put people on the spot like that!" Trevor said, panicking when Shauna spun on him. Shauna pouted, which only made Trevor panic more. He seemed to think about it for a bit, twiddling his fingers. "...I think S-kins is better."

Shauna screeched _'What?_ ' as the previously silent Calem burst out laughing.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry, but _S-kins,_ " he wheezed. "That's too cute."

"C-Meister, you can't side with him!" Shauna protested, grabbing his arm as she sat down at the head of the table. "She's Li'l S!"

"Let Serena decide her nickname," Calem suggested, managing to smother his laughter. "...S-kins."

Serena shrank back a little when they all turned to her. "I don't really need a nickname," she told them quietly. "...But you can use Rena, if you want."

"That's pretty!" Shauna exclaimed, conflict already forgotten, before turning to Tierno. "So, Tierny, where are the starters?"

Tierno picked a backpack off the ground and unzipped it, pulling out a rectangular case that he placed on the table. Three shiny pokéballs were clearly visibly inside through the glass cover, seated on a velvet pillow, and Shauna let out a long 'ooh' of admiration.

"Trevs and I already got ours, and here's your choices!" Pressing a button on the side of the case, the lid sprang open and the pokéballs opened simultaneously, releasing the creatures inside in a flash of light, a small explosion of confetti, and an 8-bit version of the Kalosian national anthem.

Serena shut her eyes at the flash, and over the music she could hear the other four muttering loud complaints about Professor Sycamore's lack of a social life. When the light died down, they were left with three small pokémon on the table, each completely unfamiliar to Serena. The types were obvious at a glance and since she didn't want anything to do with a fire-type, she ignored the golden fox in favour of the other two starters, turning away from it stiffly.

"This is a froakie," Tierno said, patting the head of the bored-looking blue frog. "He might look laidback but he gets really excited when we talk about battling around him! The lovely gold lady over there is a fennekin. She's a little... temperamental? But she can be a total sweetheart too." The fire-type huffed, turning away from the teenagers. "...Sometimes."

The last starter was rolled up in a ball, snoring softly. Tierno gently poked it, and the grass-type simply uncurled and flopped onto its stomach, peeking up at them sleepily.

"Chespin is the baby of the group," Tierno told them as the grass-type rolled onto its back, kicking at the air. "He's pretty sleepy and goofy but he's a hard worker and has a lot of potential."

"They're all so cool, I can't choose! Rena, you can go first!" Shauna chimed, eyeing the water-type with the intensity of a pidgeot fixated on a magikarp.

"Yeah, I don't have a preference either," Calem said, also staring intently at the froakie. The air around the two friends seemed to electrify. "...Go ahead, neighbour."

"Okay," Serena said, fidgeting. That clearly ruled out the froakie, no matter what they said. That was alright, since she was already leaning towards the grass-type anyway. "Chespin, would you like to come with me?" The tiny grass-type beamed, waddling over to her and jumping into her arms. He cooed as he crawled up onto her shoulder, partially hiding in her hair.

"Aw," Shauna sighed as she looked over at the new pair. "Alright, C-Meis— hey!" Calem was already shaking hands with the froakie, smiling smugly at her with a glint in his eyes. Shauna gaped at him, and the fennekin glared at her, daring her to say anything. Tierno slowly placed their pokéballs in front of them, taking care to keep his hand a safe distance away from Shauna's new partner.

For a moment, Serena wondered if there was anything she could do to diffuse the tension. The small shred of pity ripped itself in half as Cinna coughed a flame into the air and she nearly flung herself out her chair. She was distracted by Chespin nuzzling her cheek before she could give in to instinct, and it occurred to her that calling the creature that was supposed to be her partner by its species was rather ridiculous.

"...Marron," she said aloud. The others turned to her again, and she repressed a shudder, knowing she would have to get used to the sudden bursts of spotlight.

"A nickname for Chespin?" Trevor guessed. Chespin chirped, patting Serena's cheek more rapidly to show he liked it. "That's Old Kalosian."

"Like marron glacé," Serena said meekly. "My grandparents used to make them for me."

Shauna's eyes lit up at the idea of nicknames. "Cinna!" she shouted, hugging her starter. The newly named fennekin growled at her, but it seemed oddly affectionate in a way. "Calem, your turn!"

"I'll pass," Calem said, waving her away.

"What?" Shauna was significantly more offended than Calem's froakie was. "Live a little, C-Meister! Just plain calling him _Froakie_ would suck!"

Calem rolled his eyes. "If you feel like he really needs a nickname, he can be Bro."

"Bro?" Shauna echoed, horrified. Bro simply croaked, uncaring.

"Ambroise. Immortal." Before Shauna could make any more protests about his nicknaming choices, Calem turned expectantly to Trevor. "Dexes?"

Trevor pulled three red cards from his backpack, distributing them to the three. "Serena, I'm assuming Shauna and Calem informed you about the purpose of this journey?" He continued when Serena nodded. "The Pokédex will automatically scan whatever pokémon is within two feet of it. It's better for everyone to explore it and get familiar with it on their own—"

"Eating a twig fills it with energy, and its roomy ears give vent to air hotter than 390 degrees Fahrenheit," Shauna interrupted, Pokédex an inch away from Cinna's annoyed face. "That's SO COOL! We still have some time to spare, so Rena, Rena, we should battle!"

"Already?" Serena squeaked, looking at the three boys for help. Trevor looked tired as he rubbed his temples, Tierno winced, and Calem mouthed an apology. It looked like Shauna had done something like this before. "We just got our starters!" There was also the fact that Cinna was a fire-type, but she wasn't sure if she wanted them to know that just yet.

Shauna was already out of her chair, racing down the stairs to the lower level of the town, taking two steps at a time. "Come on, over here!"

"Don't worry about it too much," Tierno told her, scratching the back of his head as he stood to follow. "If it turns out battling's not your thing, that's fine! Trevs and I aren't fit for battling either." Trevor heaved a heavy sigh as he also stood, grabbing both his bag and Tierno's from under the table.

"Alright, Cinna, we're gonna win this!" Shauna's loud pep talk, interspersed with multiple barks from Cinna, could be heard from the top of the terrace. Though Serena knew this was supposed to be something light-hearted, Shauna's confidence and her starter type were making her nervous, and there wasn't any way to back out. Marron patted her leg, and she bent down to pick him up and carry him down to the square, several paces opposite of Shauna.

The sound of footsteps approached across the cobblestone towards them, and the pair looked up to see Calem approaching, Bro out of sight and likely in his pokéball. He smiled when he stopped next to them and opened his Pokédex, holding it just out of Marron's reach. The screen lit up momentarily, before displaying words Serena couldn't read from her angle.

"There's a silent agreement that Trevor will be doing most of the Pokédex filling," Calem said, stuffing the device back in his bag. "But it's best to record pokémon you're battling or catching, since they can give you little hints about what you're working with. ...Hey, are you going to be okay?"

"I... maybe?" Serena looked away, biting her lip. "I want to try, but I'm..."

Calem chuckled. "It's okay to be nervous, especially since it's your first battle. You'll be fine. Trust your abilities, and your pokémon's, and you'll make it through." He clapped a hand on her shoulder, grinning warmly at her. It was a pleasant sight, and Serena almost believed him. "I'm rooting for you!"

He left to join Tierno and Trevor, leaving Serena to fiddle with her own Pokédex hesitantly. A dark memory hovered near the edge of her thoughts, but she willed it away as she opened the device, holding it in front of Marron with one hand while she used the other to pet him. Like Calem's, the holographic screen flashed briefly before words started to show up. It looked like there were multiple pages to the entry, but the first page held a description and the list of moves the current scanned subject could use. She focused on the moves first, trying to memorize them all before she scrolled back up to the description.

 _'The quills on its head are usually soft,'_ the entry read. ' _When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp that they can pierce rock.'_

 _Welp._ Serena retracted her hand immediately, keeping an unnecessary length away from Marron's head. Her starter looked at her curiously as she stowed her Pokédex in her bag and stood.

"Renaaa!" Shauna sang, waving at her furiously, bouncing up and down. Cinna sat primly at her feet. "Let's go!"

"Ready?" Serena asked Marron nervously. He bobbed his head happily, leaping forward and getting in a defensive position. Serena turned to Tierno, who was holding what looked like an extra t-shirt, and nodded.

"Begin!" Tierno shouted.

"Ember!" Shauna yelled. Cinna stood and breathed in, gathering flames in her mouth. Panic settled in for Serena almost instantly, but she took a deep breath, hands gripping her Pokédex tight in spite of the way they shook.

"Marron, toss her with Vine Whip!" Two vines shot out from Marron's back, faster than Cinna's fiery breath. They wrapped around the fennekin's middle, causing her to shout in surprise and disrupt her attack as Marron threw her straight up into the air, leaping up after her. "Follow it up with Tackle, and combine that with Bite!"

Cinna didn't have a chance to recover from the airtime as Marron smashed into her, chomping down on her ear. Shauna yelped, flailing her arms wildly at the screech Cinna made.

"Rena's running on instinct," Tierno said, already impressed with their new friend. Serena looked just as surprised that her idea worked. "It's almost like watching you battle, C-Meister. Is this really her first?"

Calem nodded, focused on observing. Cinna managed to throw Marron off with Tail Whip, and both starters fell to the ground. Marron, spun around from Cinna's tail, was dazed for a few moments as he tried to get up. Cinna landed neatly on her feet, and Shauna finally got a grasp on her situation.

"Woah, woah, woah! Okay, jump, Cinna, and then keep him down with Scratch!" Shauna cheered as the two starters collided, toppling over each other before Cinna ended up on top, pinning Marron beneath her claws. "Alright, Ember!"

The tiny grass-type wailed as the flames scorched him directly in the face. Serena faltered, fear latching to her heart.

From the corner of her eye, one of the boys shifted. Calem's words echoed in her mind suddenly. _'Trust your abilities, and your pokémon's.'_

"Marron, flex!" she cried out, hoping her starter would understand. Marron moved his head, stiffening beneath Cinna. The fennekin yelped as the spikes on his head turned sharp in her face, and the flames surrounding her died down in the sudden burst of pain. "Vine Whip her away!"

A little clumsy after taking so much damage, Marron actually threw Cinna into the fountain next to them. All five trainers froze, holding in laughter as Cinna emerged from the water, soaked and miserable.

"Oh my gosh." Shauna bit down a grin. "Come on, Cinna! We can still win this! Scratch!"

Cinna must have hit the water ears first, since it seemed like she'd taken damage. She was livid as flames danced around her paws, though they weren't as intense as they were before, and she pounced at Marron, claws out and ready to strike.

Serena didn't need to call for Marron to dodge. He rolled to the side, stumbling a little as he pulled out of it, and pounced on Cinna as she hit the ground. That last hit was all it took for the fire-type to fall, and Cinna slumped over out of exhaustion.

"Cinna has fainted," Trevor announced after several moments. "Serena and Marron are the winners!"

"I... we did it," Serena said, stunned as the words sunk in. Marron spun around, bouncing back to her and leaping into her arms, chattering gleefully as he patted her cheek. Shauna fretted over her unconscious starter, giving her a Revive from her purse as Trevor went over to check on her.

"Hey, neighbour!" Serena looked up as Calem joined her, potion bottle in hand. She held Marron out to let Calem heal him. When he finished he tossed her a second potion, smiling at how Marron immediately climbed up to hide in Serena's hair. "Keep that one. You were great out there— I can't believe you've never battled before!"

Serena blushed, suddenly more interested with their shoes. "It was all Marron," she said quietly, pulling the brim of her hat over her eyes.

"Give yourself some credit," Calem laughed. "You two already have a bond. You were working together during that."

"You could probably give C-Meister a run for his money if you train more," Tierno said, appearing behind Calem. "I kinda want to see a double battle with you two teamed up." Calem got a strange look in his eyes, but before he could say anything Shauna and Trevor were there, a recovered Cinna on Shauna's head.

"You did it Rena!" Shauna cheered. "And now that Marron and Cinna are both fixed up, let's go!" She linked an arm through Serena's and pulled the blonde towards the bridge, the boys following closely behind them.

They stopped altogether at the end of the bridge, where Aquacorde connected to Route 2. Santalune Forest was visible shortly off along the path. Tierno turned to the others with a wide grin. "So, Shaunee and I were talking about this earlier—"

"We have to take the first step together!" Shauna cut in, jumping up and down with her arm and Serena's still linked. "That's what the original trio of the Pokédex owners from Unova did. We need a start as memorable as our seniors!"

Calem shrugged, coming over to Serena's other side to link his arm with hers. Tierno did the same with Shauna, Trevor joining him.

"Rena!" Tierno announced, looking at her over Shauna's head. "I want us all to be the best of friends!"

Trevor had to lean past him to see her. "I would like that too. I'm glad you're joining us."

"I'm glad all of C-Meister's claims to the prof were true!" Shauna chirped, ignoring Calem's warning hiss and grinning at Serena's puzzled expression. "Rena, this is going to be so much fun, just wait!"

When they all turned to Calem, he was looking away from them, covering his face with his free hand. Glancing at them, he muttered, "Woo, friendship." Shauna stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ready?" Tierno asked. "Three... two... one... GO!"

To anyone else, there really wasn't anything special about that one step from Aquacorde's bridge. Route 2 was just as short as Route 1, and even less interesting. Yet, as the group of five crossed from stone to grass, they felt the atmosphere change. The sun was bright but the warmth mild, and a refreshing breeze whistled through the town behind them out to the forest. It felt kind of like a promise, one for fantastic adventure, and they were all eager to see it fulfilled.

The kids stood in silence for a moment, just listening to the rustle of grass and distant chatter of wild pokémon. Shauna, of course, was the one to break it.

"WE'RE FINALLY POKÉMON TRAINERS!" she shouted, startling most of the wild pokémon in the grass. Unable to stop herself, Serena laughed— something that happened so rarely, it surprised herself. The others grinned at the sound.

"To adventure!" Tierno yelled as he broke away from their chain and bounded into the forest. Shauna hooted as she ran after him, Cinna barking angrily as she nearly slipped off the girl's head. Calem laughed as he followed, Trevor's chuckles more subdued, and Serena followed silently, eyes wide in wonder. As her eyes adjusted to the dimmer lights of Santalune's forest, Marron cooing on her shoulder, she felt warm and more alive than usual.

If only those halcyon days could last forever.

* * *

 **Calem Alexandre Chevalier**

\- Fighting-type. Competitive ability. Relaxed nature, hates to lose. Met in Vaniville Town at Level 17. Calm Mind | Detect | Superpower | Close Combat.

\- Fair skin, dark hair that reaches his chin, 5'10". His gray eyes are bright and clear, and his stance is usually relaxed and self-assured. He moves with a sort of grace, easy and confident, ready to lead. He's been training in various martial arts since he was a child and is well-toned in muscles as a result.

\- An easy-going young man with a natural gift for training and battling. Though he's friendly and generally goes with the flow, he's really competitive and becomes intense in battle. He will do anything to become stronger, and while earnestly supportive of his friends he is incredibly harsh on himself. The one with the warmest smile.

* * *

 _bet u thought she was going with fennekin again didnt you haha jokes on you_

 _"but stella whats gonna happen to bulbasaur"_

 _shhhh_


	3. Tangled In Thorns

_splatfest in splatoon is this weekend! i live in canada, and i sided with team science. i was originally going to side with team art but my friend sent me a link to the bill nye theme timestamped at 'science rules'_

* * *

 **Legacies**

 **by stellariums**

 **[Chapter III: Tangled in Thorns]**

* * *

 _"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness."_

 _― Ralph Waldo Emerson_

* * *

A ninth pokéball missed Shauna's practice target, a fletchling, and it was followed by a string of apologies as it sailed past the small bird to smack Marron on the head. The chespin teared up immediately, and Tierno's squirtle, Shuffle, tried to comfort him.

"Shaunee, you actually have to aim," Tierno said, looking down at his last pokéball. "Pokéballs don't grow on trees anymore."

"You can have it, Tierny," Shauna sighed, dropping to her knees. Next to her, Cinna continued to chew her twig, ignoring her trainer's woeful look. "I think it's laughing at me."

It was true. Tierno expanded the last pokéball and chucked it at the flying-type, hitting its forehead and capturing it mid-chortle. When he let it out of its capsule, it looked mortified that it had been caught off guard.

"Salsa," Tierno told it, and returned it to the sphere.

"I just want a cute pikachu!" Shauna wailed, flopping onto her back and kicking her feet against the grass.

"Pika?"

The two froze before slowly turning around. A pikachu watched them innocently in front of a clump of bushes, eating aspear berries and seeming completely unconcerned with whatever the stupid humans were doing. There was silence for a few moments, where the trainers and pikachu simply stared at each other, before Shauna screamed and launched herself at it. Sparks flew out of the electric-types cheeks as it wailed and dived into the underbrush. Shauna followed, yelling loudly about how she had to catch it.

"So," Tierno said awkwardly, side-eyeing Cinna. The fennekin growled at him as she snapped her twig in half before stalking off to find her trainer. "Should we go after her too?"

"I'll handle it." Trevor rubbed his forehead, looking pained as he stood up from the log he and Serena were watching from. "Jasper, let's go." His charmander high-fived Shuffle and patted Marron's head before he and Trevor left through the bushes.

With Shauna gone, the small clearing they'd set up in was significantly more quiet. Tierno busied himself with scooping up the missed pokéballs, while Marron and Shuffle were left to play-wrestle with the 'it' for their game of tag gone. Not far off along the forest line, Calem looked over briefly before going back to training with Bro.

Serena was idly sketching a random flower by her feet when Tierno took Trevor's seat next to her. He didn't openly watch her draw, just glancing every so often when she wasn't paying attention, before speaking up. "Rena, do you have anything you want to do during this journey?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, startled by the sudden question. Now conscious of his presence, she closed her sketchbook and put it back in her bag, unsure of what to make of the small disappointed 'aw' Tierno made as she did.

"Like, Trevs is specifically out to fill Dex entries," Tierno said, attention switched to their starters playing. Shuffle pretended to be beaten by Marron, letting the grass-type pounce on him with a victory cry. "He's studying to become a Pokémon Professor and I'm pretty sure the prof is already considering him as a successor. And Calem's out to be Champion."

"What about you?" Serena asked, curiosity overwhelming the instinct to not talk at all.

Tierno seemed to hesitate before answering. "I'm still thinking about it," he told her. "After we leave Lumiose, we'll be splitting up and doing our own things. That's why I asked."

"I see," Serena said faintly. Of course, that should have been obvious from the start. Calem looked back at them again, deep in thought, but she didn't notice as Shauna and Cinna returned looking equally displeased. Trevor and Jasper were right behind them, the ginger looking more meek than usual. Jasper was trying to apologize to his fellow fire-type, but the fennekin simply stomped past him, following her trainer over to Serena.

"So," Tierno ventured as the small girl approached. From behind her, Trevor made a frantic silencing gesture at him. "How'd it go?" A facepalm.

"Perfect," Shauna huffed. "I'm gonna go look for another, alone! Actually, Rena, come with me!"

"Wh— S-Shauna! Wait!" Serena protested as Shauna pulled her off her log and out of the clearing before any of the boys could say a word.

* * *

-:-

* * *

"AGH!"

Serena winced, saying goodbye to all the pokéballs Tierno gave her. It wasn't like she had any intention of using them, but you never knew when they could come in handy. Shauna was in a slump once more as the second pikachu they'd found that day simply rolled over and yawned, smirking at them from its tree stump that sat surrounded by broken pokéballs. With her ears flattened, Cinna glared even harder at the offending electric-type. They weren't risking attacking it any further out of fear of making it faint, and it seemed like the pikachu knew that.

"Should Cinna and Marron just pin it down?" Serena asked tentatively, only to be blinded by a flash of light. The pikachu sat up in alarm and zoomed off into the underbrush.

"What?" Shauna cried, rubbing her eyes.

"Aw, darn it!" A blonde woman stepped out past the trees, looking disappointed as she lowered her camera.

Shauna faltered as she recognized the photographer. She tensed, clenching her hands into fists. "Viola."

"Do I know you?" the woman asked, frowning at Shauna's tone. "I don't think we've met."

"Not personally." The hostility in Shauna's voice was so jarring to Serena, who was just beginning to get used to the other girl's usual cheerful self. "Thanks for scaring away that pikachu."

"Well, _sorry_ ," Viola sniffed, already walking away. "I have important things to deal with, so if you'll excuse me."

"Ooooh, no wonder she gets along so well with Nancy," Shauna grumbled. An imaginary light bulb seemed to pop above her head as she turned to Serena. "We should follow her!"

"Huh?" Serena balked.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Shauna started to pull her off in the direction Viola disappeared to, their starters following at their feet. "We'll have to be sneaky and everything, it'll be an mini adventure!"

 _...We can't get into that much trouble, right?_ Serena dared to assume, hoping silently that she was right.

* * *

-:-

* * *

"What the heck?" Shauna gasped.

A titanic tree towered over them, black at the roots and swirling into a rich shade of blue. Strange patterns were woven around its trunk, reaching to the tips of its branches with spiraled out over them in the same colour as the sky. Its leaves almost looked like glass, filtering sunlight onto the forest floor and shining in multicolour. They draped from the branches like a curtain, and they seemed to glow in the soft light.

"What is this place?" Serena asked, craning her neck in sync with Marron, still unable to fully grasp just how big the tree was. Viola stood in the same spot they were in less than ten minutes before, but she left the strange area fairly quickly and the girls were too curious about the tree to keep following her.

"I think..." Shauna gulped behind her, mouth dry. "This is the Tree of Life."

The name sang out to something in Serena's head, though she couldn't pinpoint why it was so significant. "What's that?"

"In legend, the god of life restored Kalos after a long and terrible war," Shauna told her. "And then it went to sleep, taking the form of a huge tree. I didn't think it was _real_ , though."

Serena approached the tree slowly, completely overwhelmed by its grand size. The air around it was warm, the heat coming from the tree itself, and it really did seem like the tree was alive.

"It's strange," she muttered, brow furrowing. "It feels like I've been here before." She reached out to touch the trunk, fingers hovering over one of the strange markings on the trunk. Barely an inch away, the markings exploded in light beneath her hand and Marron cried out in a panic. Above them, the leaves burst into full colour, branches spinning gold.

* * *

A garden of roses in full bloom, each bush lovingly cared for and brightly coloured. A woman clothed in pink silk stands in a gazebo at the garden's center, singing softly as she plays a sweet melody on her violin. As she draws the bow down to end her song on a soft note, a man approaches her.

"Princess," he calls. The violinist places her instrument on the table before her, looking over her shoulder. As the knight reaches the gazebo, her face lights up with a bright smile.

"You came!" she exclaims as he kneels to her.

"Always." Her knight grins wryly at her, raising the back of her hand to his lips and gently kissing it. His tender hold on her hand tightens, their fingers curling together as he lowers their hands and stands, and he looks downcast, hesitant.

"Sereine," he says seriously. "I have news about the king."

The soothing breeze in the garden turns into scorching heat, the flowers around her burning black. The sky is set aflame, and her knight is stolen by the howling wind, ashes and smoke and a burning agony in her lungs and heart. Cobble and brick crumble away into ruins and dust. Crystal petals blossom above, casting a shadow of death over the land she loved.

"Grand-père," the princess croaks to the man behind her, who stands broken with his royal robes tattered and the blood of his people on his hands, carrying an empty wooden box. A key glistens against his chest. "Why?"

The world darkens then brightens and cools, and the princess knows with an ache that she is alone, so alone. From the ash beneath her feet, a small sprout grows, and she kneels to stroke its small leaves. A blackened branch snaps beneath someone's feet, and she raises her head.

"I'm sorry," she whispers to the god before her, who bows their head low to her, antlers brushing the ground. Green lights blink at them from the shadow of a palace turned to rubble, and her song soothes the world to sleep.

 _"You and I were born, right here in the same world..."_

* * *

Serena jerked back as the light faded, Marron patted her cheek desperately, unable to get a response from her. Her head and heart ached, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't see the face of the princess, but she felt her emotions as strongly as if they were her own.

"Rena?" she thought she heard Shauna ask nervously. There was also another noise in the background, twigs cracking and branches being pushed aside quickly, and Viola crashed through the bushes behind them, flanked by a scyther and a scizor. She rushed towards them, roughly grabbing Serena's arm and spinning her around.

"Who are you?" Viola demanded, grip on Serena's wrist tightening. Pain shot up Serena's arm, and Marron was almost screaming as his vines flew up, lashing at the bug-types when they tried to get closer to their own trainer.

Shauna stood frozen in fear, eyes darting between her friend and the safety of the forest. When Serena gasped in pain, Shauna seemed to brace herself.

"Let her go!" she shouted and physically pushing Viola away, Cinna snarling protectively by her side. The two bug-types hissed at her, but both starters held their ground.

"If you're a threat—" Viola began as she stumbled back, only for Shauna to shove her Pokédex in the blonde's face.

"We're the Kalos Pokédex owners," Shauna snapped, fire in her eyes. "If you hurt either of us you'll have a lot to explain to Professor Sycamore. What kind of gym leader attacks random teenagers in the forest?"

Viola stared at the device, eyes wide in revelation at both who they were and what she just did. As she faltered, so did her pokémon. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," she said, still frazzled as she turned to Serena. "I didn't—"

"I-It's okay," Serena managed, rubbing her wrist. Bruises were already starting to blossom on her arm. Marron frantically patting and cooing at her once more, and she raised a hand to pet him. Shauna didn't relax, though she and Cinna stepped back next to Serena, eyeing Viola warily. "Shauna, it's fine, really."

"Look, you have to understand." Viola kept her hands up, hoping to appease the brunette. "This is the Tree of Life, the real one from the Hundred Year War. There's been some suspicious people hanging around here lately so we've been on extra high alert. I wouldn't have done that if you hadn't caused... whatever that was."

"I don't know what happened," Serena admitted, wondering for a moment if she should tell them what she saw. "I didn't even touch it."

The three girls stared up at the canopy for a moment. The light had faded, though the branches were still dyed gold.

"How am I going to explain this to the others?" Viola groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she looked up at Serena. "Ugh. What's your name?"

 _What does that have to do with this?_ "Serena Leclair?" she said uncertainly, berating herself for making it sound like a question.

"Kalosian," Viola said thoughtfully. Almost unconsciously, she pulled out her camera, turned it on, and snapped a picture of Serena. "Valerie and Olympia can help."

"Um?" Serena squeaked, still partially blinded by the flash.

"I have to head back to Santalune to report this," Viola told them, continuing to rummage through her bag after returning her camera. "You're not in trouble yet, don't worry, but we need to figure out what the hell just happened. And Shauna, wasn't it? Take this, to make up for that pikachu. I'm sorry for my sour mood earlier." She pressed a pokéball into Shauna's hand before leaving without another word with her pokémon trailing behind her, which was probably for the best as Shauna was left speechless by the unexpected gift.

"How do you know her?" Serena dared to ask quietly.

Shauna seemed to blink out of her confusion. "She's the gym leader of Santalune, my hometown," she said, enlarging the pokéball and throwing it up. "And she's sort of friends with my sister."

The sphere released a butterfly pokémon, though not one Serena was familiar with. Its body was smaller than a butterfree's, and its wings much larger and more colourful. It hovered just above their heads, looking around for its previous trainer, and when there was no sign of Viola it turned its attention to the girls.

"A vivillon!" Shauna exclaimed, mood already brightening as she pulled her Pokédex out. Serena mimicked her, scanning the bug-type and deciding to read the entry another time. "I thought she would just give me a random scatterbug. I'm your new trainer, Vivillon, if you don't mind."

The vivillon chattered curiously as Shauna raised a hand for her to perch on, and then nodded at her happily, flapping her sun-coloured wings twice. Marron chirped merrily, waving at their new friend, and Cinna moved her head in the slightest nod.

"Do you have a nickname for her?" Serena asked with a small smile, glad to see Shauna back to her normal self. The light in the clearing was starting to turn orange, and Serena wondered what time it was.

Shauna grinned. "Sugar," she said brightly. "I hope we can be good friends!"

"Shauna," Serena coughed, remembering something even more important than the time. "Do you remember where that clearing was?"

* * *

-:-

* * *

If there was one thing Serena clearly understood after their little adventure, it was that neither she or Shauna had any sense of direction.

They never would have made it back to the boys if Serena hadn't suggested getting Sugar to look for their clearing from the sky. It was already dark, but a fire illuminated the rough circle and gave the vivillon a direction to point them in.

When they finally stumbled into the clearing, only Trevor and Tierno were there. Their starters seemed to be trying to help Tierno cook something, and Trevor was surrounded by balls of yarn and no less than four scarves, an unfinished sweater resting next to him on the log. He was hunched forward, face buried in his hands.

"He's been stress-knitting," Shauna said quietly, probably meant for herself alone. She quickly turned her frown into a smile as she skipped into the campsite, cheerfully singing, "Guess who got a new team member?~"

Tierno nearly dropped the pack of hotdogs he was opening and Trevor almost fell backwards off the log with a surprisingly high-pitched scream. When they realized it was the girls, their shoulders sank in relief, though Trevor quickly turned red in anger.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, standing so abruptly some yarn balls fell off his lap and bounced into the fire. He didn't seem to notice, focused on Shauna with his hands at his sides in fist, trembling.

"Sorry, Mom. You don't need to scare all the wild 'mons," Shauna teased. Trevor seemed to shrink a little upon realizing he'd been yelling. "Rena and I were just exploring and got a little lost, it's no biggie!"

Serena glanced around them as she caught up, noticing that Calem's training area stood abandoned. "Where's Calem?"

Trevor still radiated quiet disapproval that made Serena want to bow her head in shame, but he only explained that Calem went looking for them. "I don't know how long he's been gone."

Thankfully, right after he said that Calem and Bro appeared, the trainer looking exhausted. His eyes widened when he saw the two girls standing around the fire and he was quick to join them, Bro leaping off his shoulder to join the other starters.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked, looking over them both for anything out of place.

"C-Meister, wanna see my latest pokémon?" Shauna asked, blissfully unconcerned with the panic on Calem's face, but not before Calem locked on to the dark marks on Serena's arm.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked, brow furrowing with even more concern as he reached out to grab her hand and pull her arm forward, illuminating the bruise in the firelight. "Is that a—"

As his fingers traced over the bruise carefully, Serena was hit by a completely unrelated thought. The knight from that... vision, or whatever it was, looked almost exactly like Calem, hadn't he? And the tenderness he held the princess' hand with...

 _NOPE._ Serena had to take an entire two steps back as she hid her arm behind her, hastily pushing an entire flood of scattered embarrassing thoughts away. "It's nothing!" Marron whistled lowly, a sound of worry that told the boys it most definitely wasn't nothing.

"Serena," Calem began, almost like a plead.

"We both have a few scrapes and bruises," Shauna said breezily. "Rena just tripped a few times, it's not like it's broken or anything!" The sad part was that it wasn't a complete lie; Serena really did trip multiple times on the way back, though the bruise on her arm definitely wasn't part of her natural clumsiness.

"But it looks like a hand." Calem was starting to sound aggravated and Serena was becoming a little flustered, so Tierno then made a big deal out of shoving paper plates at everyone and pulling a bag of pokémon food out.

"Dinner's ready!" he sang cheerfully. "Shaunee, you said you got a new 'mon, right? What kind?"

With the others distracted by Sugar and food, Serena dropped her arm, trying to rub her sore wrist as subtly as possible. Though Calem congratulated Shauna on her new friend, he watched Serena with a frown across the fire.

After a campfire dinner, the group retired for the night. The boys slept in their sleeping bags outside, while Shauna offered to share her tent with Serena. Shauna was out as soon as she crawled in her sleeping bag, Cinna purposely choosing to make her bed on her trainer's stomach as she slept. Marron curled up next to Serena, clinging to part of her hair for comfort.

Serena spent a few minutes just staring at the ceiling of the bright pink tent, trying to make sense of everything that'd happened so far. With little success, she closed her eyes, and as always found sleep easily, though her dreams were filled with more fire than before.

* * *

-:-

* * *

"Santalune City!" Shauna proclaimed, spinning around to look back at the group as they passed the city gates. "We made it!"

This was the last place Serena expected for Shauna to call her hometown. There was a traditional and slow air about the city, completely different from the fast-paced and eccentric young girl she was starting to really think of as a friend. Santalune was certainly lovely, with its emerald roofs and abundant gardens, but it didn't seem like there was much to do around the town unless you were a trainer.

A number of them were already starting to exit the Pokémon Center, probably to get some training in before the gym opened. Calem and Trevor led their group towards the red-roofed building, discussing plans of some sort, while Shauna, Tierno and Serena followed, the latter simply hanging back to observe, too sleepy to make any more effort than usual to talk. Marron was just as drowsy as Serena was, having to be held by his trainer out of fear of him toppling off her shoulder. None of the other starters were out, still tired from running about the woods the day before.

"You already said goodbye to your family, right?" Tierno was asking Shauna, who walked between him and Serena.

"To my moms and the twins, yeah." Shauna shrugged, wearing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Nancy didn't bother to show up, of course."

Tierno probably would have said something comforting, but Calem turned back to look at them before they entered the Pokémon Center.

"We need to get Nurse Joy to look at that bruise." He nodded at Serena's arm, which looked a lot worse in actual sunlight. Serena covered it self-consciously as Marron managed to stumble up to her shoulder, but Calem took her uninjured arm and dragged her into the building and up to the front desk.

To her surprise, they found Viola talking to the nurse there. Both women looked up as the group of five approached, and Viola's gaze fell on Calem and Serena's hands, and then back up to the bruise she'd left. Her eyes widened with realization, and she looked away guiltily.

"Goodness, what happened?" the pink-haired nurse exclaimed as Calem showed Serena's arm to her. "Quick, dear, come with me so we can get you some ice. Pardon me, Viola. Annie!"

Another pink-haired nurse, exactly the same as the first, came through the same door the first one took Serena through. She stood behind the counter with an eerily identical smile, blue eyes clear of any emotion or thought.

"Welcome to the Santalune Center, would you like me to heal your pokémon?" she asked pleasantly. Trevor handed her his pokéballs, looking only a little unnerved by her, well, everything, and the others followed his lead. "Hello, Viola, are you heading back to the gym?"

Before Viola could respond, Calem cut in with with an awed, "You're Viola Dubois!"

"Yes," the gym leader said with a smile, looking at his three friends. She lingered on Shauna for a little too long, almost trying to convey something wordlessly, but Shauna mumbled something under her breath as she looked away. "Are you gym challengers?"

"Calem is," Tierno pipped up. "Maybe Rena?"

Serena returned with an ice pack, trying to remember if the nurse she'd been with blinked during that whole time.

"What about you?" Viola asked Serena, effectively stopping her from dwelling too long on the Nurse Joy Conspiracy. "Are you planning on taking the gym challenge?"

"O-oh, no," Serena squeaked, waving her hands in protest. "Just Calem."

"Really? But you look like you have a lot of potential." Serena's face heated up at the compliment, though part of her wondered if it was linked to the tree incident from the day before. "Well, if your boyfriend is going after the badge," Viola mused, causing Calem and Serena to choke, "How do you two feel about a double battle?"

The question hung in the air, allowing the kids to fully wrap their heads around the idea. It hit them like a moving truckload of bricks a second later.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Shauna Beautemps-Wellspring

\- Flying-type. Run Away ability. Quirky nature, impetuous and silly. Met in Vaniville Town at Lv. 15. Hatched in Santalune City. Tackle | Charm | Chatter | Baby-Doll Eyes.

\- Brown skin, brown hair in strange pigtails. Stands at 4'9 barefoot, short and a little chubby. Her eyes are a piercing shade of green, bright and eager. She's flighty and bouncy, rarely staying still and moving quickly with exaggerated gestures.

\- A cheerful, happy-go-lucky girl who tends to be insensitive but has good intentions. She's a lot more observant than people give her credit for, and is very protective of her loved ones. The fastest puzzle solver.

* * *

 _sereine was playing something like a violin cover of itsumo nando demo from spirited away_

 _thank you to everyone whos been keeping up w us so far! your reviews/favourites/alerts are all greatly appreciated!_

 _fyras14 - x's chespin is marisso, which inspired marron's name a bit! marron is straight from a variant french word for chestnut, and marisso comes from marisson (marron and hérisson/hedgehog.)_


	4. Breaking Ground

_this chapter took so long to write oh god why. this one is a lot shorter than usual and i really, really hate it but i just want to get it over with_

 _ill probably go back and edit this a little bit more later bc its midnight on a sunday and im tired af_

* * *

 **Legacies**

 **by stellariums**

 **[Chapter IV: Breaking Ground]**

* * *

" _Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."_

― _H. Jackson Brown Jr_

* * *

Jasper scrambled up on the fence next to Serena, and she immediately scooted away from him. Trevor raised an eyebrow as he joined her, though he said nothing as he relocated Jasper to the ground, where the charmander pouted and ran off to join Marron, Cinna, and Bro in watching Shauna and Calem battle. The two trainers sat together in silence, a little awkward and uncomfortable.

"Did you decide yet?" Trevor asked suddenly, breaking the quiet. He ducked his head in embarrassment when she looked up at ħim, surprised. "...About the gym challenge."

Above Route 22, Sugar swooped through the sky, elegantly dodging the attacks of Calem's newest team member, a swablu. Shauna stumbled and blundered through the battle in direct contrast to her vivillon, but she still had a grin on her face that only widened whenever Sugar landed a hit. Marron and Bro cheered, and even Cinna seemed to be enjoying herself.

...Battling was fun, wasn't it? The reason kids went on journeys in the first place was for the experience, the things they saw and did and the people they met, to find out who they were and what they were good at. There were adults who never left home and never had a greater regret than not taking the opportunity to learn and explore when it was given to them.

Serena didn't want to have any more regrets.

"...I want to try it." In the same moment, Trevor's eyes widened in surprise and Shauna cried out as Sugar fell to the ground, unconscious. Calem's swablu returned to him, landing on his outstretched arm.

"Great job, Gloria." The swablu whistled as her trainer pet her head. "Thanks, Shauna."

"You did great, Sugar." Shauna sighed as she returned Sugar to her pokéball, pressing it to her cheek before returning it to her purse. Cinna immediately trotted over for her trainer to pick her up. "C-Meister, you're too good!"

Calem's eyes gleamed with pride, and he did nothing to deny the praise. "I think we're ready to challenge the gym now."

Serena's hands, gripped into fists in her lap, trembled as the two approached the fence followed by the starters. Marron scrambled into her lap and she reached out to pet him, a little comforted by his presence. Seeing anxiety so clearly across her face was a little alarming to both Calem and Shauna, and they both looked to Trevor for a clue.

"Um, Calem." Trevor spoke up for her, giving her an encouraging look. "I think Serena has something to say."

Serena seized a deep breath, and gathering the courage she blurted "Iwanttotrythegymbattle!" and buried her face in her hands. Shauna made a tiny squawk of joy, and when Serena found the strength to peek up at them Calem's face was lit with a huge grin.

Suddenly Shauna was clinging to her arm, nearly knocking Serena off her seat. "Oh my gosh, I'm so excited for you Rena! Cinna will help you, since you only have Marron right now!"

"Ah," Serena gulped, suppressing a shudder. "Thanks, Shauna." _It's neccessary,_ she told herself as the brunette beamed.

"Glad to have you join us, neighbour," Calem said brightly as he clapped a hand on her other shoulder. "Let's start training!"

* * *

-:-

* * *

"Alright, your license has successfully been registered. You're now able to challenge gyms and participate in any official tournaments!" The nurse slid Serena's new trainer card across the counter to her, smile eerily warm. "Have a nice day!"

As soon as she picked up the card, Serena found herself being guided by her friends outside and down the street to the gym. A man greeted them at the door, requesting to see their trainer cards before gesturing to a hole in the floor.

"The gym's all suspended on platforms," he explained. "Don't worry about falling, I'm pretty sure we fixed that safety net last week. Probably."

Serena promptly attempted to do a U-Turn right out the gym doors.

The gym was lit with dim lanterns along the wall, providing just enough light to see where they were walking. They emerged on a wooden platform suspended high above the ground, which was dark and gave the room an illusion of being bottomless. Another wooden platform, much larger than the one they stood on, stretched across the center of the room and had cobwebs strung around it, and the right of the room opened up to a row of bleachers for spectators.

Exactly opposite from them stood Viola on her own platform, surrounded by an assortment of camera equipment, and the gym leader looked up from a tripod as she heard their footsteps on the creaky stairs. She grinned at the sight of Serena half-hiding behind Calem, and set her camera down as the man from before appeared behind her. They seemed to argue for a moment, only for the man to shrug and disappear through the curtain of leaves behind Viola.

"Welcome!" Viola raised her voice to be heard across the room. "We just have to set up the board for a double battle." Double battles had been done in gyms before, but it was such a rare occurrence that most gyms didn't have a proper set up for it. Calem shrugged, pulling Serena back to review what they taught her during their training session. The others took their seats on the lowest row of bleachers as a screen to the left of Serena and Calem's platform lit up.

"This will be a match with no restrictions for the challengers!" a voice announced through some speaker system. "Gym leader Viola Dubois versus Serena Leclair and Calem Chevalier of Vaniville Town! Whoever knocks out all of the other's pokémon first wins! The challengers begin!"

"Go Rena! Go C-Meister!" Shauna and Tierno cheered from the bleachers, waving at them. Trevor, much more subdued, smiled shyly.

Marron cooed in Serena's ear, but she scratched his cheek and told him to hang on for a bit. Calem sent Bro out first, and Serena tossed Shauna's pokéball towards the center platform, taking a nervous step back as Cinna bounded forward in a flash of light.

"Surskit, Vivillon!" Viola tossed up two pokéballs, and her team burst forth in a flash of light and sparkling scales. The two pokémon stared down Cinna and Bro, who held their ground with heads held high.

Calem tapped Serena's arm, though she kept her focus on the battlefield. "You ready?" he asked lowly. Serena nodded her head by just an inch. "Bro, Quick Attack!"

The field exploded in movement. Though daunted by the task of commanding a fire-type, Serena threw herself through the motions, standing as strong as Calem as their team danced around the battle in a flurry. It wasn't perfect by any means― they weren't quite in sync and often stumbling around each other, but they were learning as they went, doing their best to cover for each other upon noticing weaknesses.

When Cinna fell after Surskit suddenly turned on her, Marron stepped forth to avenge his friend. Gloria clashed with Viola's vivillon in the air, forcing its attention on her and taking it out easily thanks to Cinna whittling down its health.

Finally, Marron stood victoriously over Viola's surskit, the tiny chespin breathing heavily as he finally caught a break. Gloria crooned as she landed next to him, patting his head gently with a fluffy wing.

Serena and Calem froze as their friends roared from the side and stairs extended from the platforms to the center. Marron scrambled back up to Serena, Gloria following just behind, and Viola stepped towards them as the man on the speakers announced loudly...

"The winners of this match are Serena Leclair and Calem Chevalier!"

* * *

-:-

* * *

Tierno waved goodbye to his friends as they scrambled off into Route 4's gardens. Calem and Trevor were both eager to see what the sprawling tall grass had to offer, and Shauna had somehow gotten possession of a camera after the gym battle and ran off to test it out.

Serena, however, was passed out in the grass, curled up on the picnic blanket they put out during lunch and napping peacefully. Her new badge was pinned to the strap of her messenger bag, which rested behind her and was somewhat guarded by a drowsy Marron.

Tierno looked around nervously as he set his ipod down on the grass, music blasting at full volume. He was pretty sure Serena was a heavy sleeper― it took them a while to wake her up back in the forest even with Shauna running around excitedly with Sugar and Cinna barking every time she came too close, so he imagined it would take more than a catchy mainstream pop song to rouse her this time.

Shuffle waited eagerly at his feet, already doing a little dance of his own, but Salsa looked at them both boredly. Tierno rolled his shoulders and did a few stretches as he waited for the song to loop around. When it did, he threw himself into his routine, Shuffle attempting to mimic his moves. He sighed as he messed a single hand gesture up halfway through _―_ it was enough to throw off the rest of the routine. He carried through anyway, adjusting as he went.

"Tierno? What're you doing?"

Tierno froze after pulling out of a spin, though Shuffle continued dancing without him, having gotten better after the first flaily tries. It might have been the fifth or sixth practice run, and though none of the others were back yet Serena was sitting up, yawning. As she stretched, Calem's sweater slipped from her shoulders, though she didn't seem to notice as she was watching Tierno blearily.

"Nothing, nothing!" Tierno stammered, stumbling over to turn off the music.

"Okay." Serena fell quiet as he joined her and Marron in the grass. "...You're good at dancing."

Tierno dipped his head in embarrassment. There really wasn't a point in trying to hide anything, since Serena clearly saw. "My mom was a dancer. She was going to raise the best dance team in all of Kalos _―_ no, the world. She never got a chance to."

Empathy shone in Serena's eyes, and Tierno had to look away. "But you do," she said. "You've never thought about it?"

"I'm a trainer and a Pokédex owner," Tierno said slowly, hesitantly. "To waste an opportunity on _dancing_ _―_ "

"I don't see why you can't do both at once," Serena said gently. "You wouldn't be the first trainer to do more than one thing during their journey."

Not knowing how to respond, Tierno stared at his shoelaces. Before they could lapse into an awkward silence, however, a pikachu burst from the hedge maze behind them, electricity crackling from her scarlet cheeks. A flabébé carrying a blue flower twirled around overhead, dodging the electric-type's attacks. Trevor and Jasper followed quickly after, the charmander snarling as he fired another Ember at his target.

Unfortunately, at that moment the flabébé was hovering right before Serena and Tierno. The flames rushed towards them before any of the kids could even blink, and Tierno instinctively pushed Serena back at the same time that she screamed. The shrill sound startled them all, and in the brief second the flabébé was distracted he pulled a pokéball out and threw it hard at the pokémon, sealing the capture.

"Rena!" Tierno gasped, looking back before the pokéball even hit the dirt. Serena was clearly uneasy around the fire-types when they were fighting, but that was always at a distance. For her to get that close to an attack like that...

His heart dropped to his stomach at the sight of Serena crumpled on the ground, as small as she could make her shaking form. Marron was making frantic chirping noises at her knees, trying to comfort his trainer in any way he could, but it didn't look like Serena could hear him.

At a loss, Tierno and Trevor stared at each other wide-eyed, not knowing what they could do. Thankfully at that moment, Calem came around the corner, Bro at his heels.

"I thought I heard a scream―" Calem skidded to a stop at the sight before him, eyes falling on the terrified faces of his friends before sweeping down to his traumatized neighbour. "Serena?"

"I-I didn't mean to, I swear," Trevor stammered. "It was an accident, Jasper just―"

"Trevor, I need you to calm down," Calem said firmly as he dropped down next to Serena and Tierno, though fear and worry was as clear as day on his face. As he reached a hand out to Serena's shoulder, she recoiled away. "What happened?"

"Jasper's Ember got too close," Tierno said numbly, eyes trained on Serena. He felt a pang of sympathy for his friend, who must have been blaming himself for the accident even though he had no idea why Serena reacted so violently.

Once more, Calem tried to touch Serena's shoulder and was able to gently rest a hand on her back. He said something to her in a soft, low voice, and though it didn't seem to do much he kept talking about anything he could think of in the same tone. At any other time Tierno would have laughed at his story about his sister, but both he and Trevor waited with held breaths, hoping Serena would break out of this... whatever it was, _soon_.

"We should take her to the Pokémon Center or something," Tierno said after a few minutes, when Serena seemed to be breaking out of her spell. Calem nodded, pausing for only a moment before picking Serena up as carefully as possible. The shaking stopped, but Serena was eerily limp in his arms. "I'll wait here for Shauna."

"No, I can―" Trevor began, though Tierno cut him off with a shake of his head. If Trevor felt guilty the last thing Tierno wanted was to make him stay behind and worry.

"Tierno," Calem said, eyes searching. "Do you know why she's like this?"

Tierno's mouth was dry as he answered. "No."

So they split off, Calem taking Serena towards Lumiose as fast as he dared, Trevor a step behind with Marron in his arms and Serena's bag with him. Tierno settled down in the grass next to his pokémon, left to his own worried thoughts while waiting for the last member of their group to show up.

Tierno really considered Serena his friend, even though they had just met. He was sure that in time they'd be as close as he was with the others, and was already feeling the sort of protectiveness he felt with Shauna and Trevor. It was because of that protectiveness he hoped there would never be a situation where Serena would have to tell the others the truth.

It really was foolish to just hope for such a thing.

* * *

 **Trevor Hall**

\- Psychic-type. Analytic ability. Serious nature, often lost in thought. Met in Aquacorde Town at Lv. 15. Hatched in Lumiose City.

\- Quiet and introverted, Trevor tries to avoid drawing attention to himself and often does his work alone and in the background. As the most serious of all his friends he tries to keep order among them and thinks long and hard over what needs to be done to get to a goal. The one who sighs the most.

 **Tierno Flores Remedios**

\- Electric-type. Vital Spirit ability. Bashful nature, strong willed. Met in Aquacorde Town at Lv. 17.

\- An upbeat and high-spirited boy with a love for dancing, though expectations from his family have given him doubt over his dreams. Tierno values the happiness of his friends and pokemon highly, and is probably the most understanding and patient of the Kalos Dex holders. The one with the most surprising grace.

* * *

 _we'll get back to our regularly scheduled and length of chapter next time... probably_


	5. Trellis and Trial

_MERRY CHRISTMAS! im still struggling to get these done, oops. these chapters just dont want to work with me, but im trying to get through it. i want to go back and rewrite the last chapter, but i just dont have the time to right now..._

 _for any readers who are still in their early teenage years, take it easy, okay? it gets harder from here on out, but youll make it. keep your chin up._

 _im 90% sure i mentioned the time they were supposed to meet the professor, but my memory is crap so please forgive me for any discrepancies... in my own fic..._

* * *

 **Legacies**

 **by stellariums**

 **[Chapter V: Trellis and Trial]**

* * *

 _trel·lis - a framework of light wooden or metal bars,  
chiefly used as a _support _for fruit trees or climbing plants._

* * *

Caught between the other buildings that lined Lumiose City's South Boulevard, the Pokémon Center was forced to build up, stacking floors on top of each other in the tiny alcove it was tucked away in. Outside, the city was lit with noise. Here in the Pokémon Center, a sanctuary for pokémon and trainers alike, the sound was a distant and soft murmur in the background.

Calem forced a foam cup of tea into Trevor's hands― some sort of rawst and pecha blend, a fruity and flowery thing that they regretfully let Shauna get them hooked on a month before― and dropped down on the bench next to his friend. That particular drink always left a dent in their wallets, but he figured that Trevor needed something to do besides pace around the lobby while they waited.

Trevor didn't drink the tea, though, just cradling the cup in his hands and staring blankly at the ground. Marron, Gloria, and Bro sat just a few feet away, surrounded by toys but paying attention to none. The chespin looked a lot like a lost lillipup staring sadly at his own feet while Gloria tried her best to distract him, but Bro seemed apathetic to the somber mood that settled on the others. Jasper was in his poké ball, as he had been since they got to the Center, and even after the front doors slid open for the rest of their group.

"Do you know what's wrong?" was the first thing Shauna demanded upon plopping herself down next to them, Cinna subtly slipping off her shoulder to join the other pokémon. She pried the drink from Trevor's hands with little effort and sipped it experimentally, wrinkling her nose at the temperature before downing the whole thing.

"They called Serena's mom," Calem recalled, folding the newspaper he'd only been half-reading. "But we got kicked out before Mrs. Bellamy could even start talking."

"Bellamy?" Shauna asked, cup abandoned so she could rummage through her bag, still looking at him as she did. "They don't have the same last name?"

"...Maybe her parents are divorced," Tierno suggested, with a delicacy that outsiders to their group found mismatched to his appearance. The largest boy in their group was also the one with the biggest heart, but even as tenderly as he said it the words still made Calem flinch.

Mrs. Bellamy looked and acted nothing like Serena. Perhaps Serena took after her father completely, then. What did Mrs. Bellamy think whenever she saw Serena's face? Was she like his own mom―

 _God, Calem. How pathetic are you? Projecting your personal baggage on your friend_.

None of his business. It wasn't any of his business.

Calem liked Serena. He was fairly certain this way of liking her was different from the way his friends felt about her― he totally lost his cool around her several times already, and the others were starting to heckle him about it _―_ but he wasn't about to think too hard about it yet. Serena needed friends in this region, and that was what he was there for first.

The problem was with their friendship so newly forged, it didn't feel right to ask about what happened to her. Just seeing Serena so pale and vulnerable felt like, well, an _invasion_ of sorts. Tierno knew, he was certain, and that sent a jolt of something through Calem's system that he couldn't quite place. It was a feeling that might have fit better if it happened while he was still dating Yve Belmonte, but didn't seem quite right at this moment.

Not sure where his thoughts were going, he turned to his friends. Trevor still seemed numb. Shauna was fiddling with her new camera (which he still wasn't sure how she got. Was it a present from Viola? For what?) At the end of the long couch, Tierno was staring off at one of the flatscreens hooked on the wall. The Lightbox, a TV station broadcasted internationally, was showing off footage from Dahlia Holguín's dance competition.

" _...just as fun as last year when some of the Champions tried joining us,"_ the Arcade Star was laughing, lights glittering behind her. " _Rosa was great, though May and Lucas_ _―_ _hehe, I didn't say anything! I hope we can meet even more dazzling trainers and pokémon next year!"_

Tierno was more quiet than usual too. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, even more so than the rest of them. The silence was unnerving, considering how boisterous their group usually was.

The clicking of kitten heels on tiles and a soft cough caught Calem's attention. A nurse― this one different from the one who'd taken Serena, her expression less empathetic and more detached― approached, a clipboard in her hands.

"Serena Leclair's friends?" she asked, before continuing on without waiting for a proper response. Calem wondered if anyone else thought there was something off about at least 90% of the Joy family. "She's awake. I suggest only one of you see her for now. She's doesn't need to be in a hospital but she's still tired, so watch after her for the day."

The nurse turned away almost mechanically, leaving as quickly as she came. A giddy Marron crashed into Calem's leg and scrambled onto his lap, chattering a mile a minute. His series of high-pitched chirps and coos made Calem grin and had the others releasing sighs of relief.

"That's great," Trevor managed, sounding caught between a sob and relieved laughter. Shauna, starting to perk up, hooked her arm through his and nudged him in the ribs with a wide grin as she forced him to stand with her.

"C-Meister," she sang, turning to Calem. Cinna was back at her heels again, doing her best to look uncaring but not quite managing it. "You go on. We'll meet you at the lab later!"

"But―"

"No but's!" Shauna winked at him, tilting her head slightly at Trevor, who was starting to get flustered as he tried to escape Shauna's grip. Calem could see at least part of why Shauna wanted him to go. She always babied Trevor the most and probably wanted to distract him. Tierno, his usual jolly expression back on his face, gave him two thumbs up in approval when Calem turned to him. They all seemed much more at ease now that they knew Serena was okay.

It was a little startling, not being sure when Serena became that important to all of them.

So the three went off to grab food, and Calem took his pokémon and Marron upstairs to fetch Serena. The elevator ride up felt too long and left him to more invasive thoughts, even with Bro resting lazily on his shoulder and Marron kicking his feet happily in his arms, talking excitedly to Gloria as she flew above them.

Calem wasn't going to ask, but he wasn't an idiot. There were pieces that fit together fairly well _―_ Serena said she wasn't comfortable around pokémon back in Vaniville, but that wasn't true. She and Marron grew close so quickly it made him a little jealous, and she didn't seem to mind any of the other pokémon that belonged to their friends.

The exceptions were Cinna and Jasper. Serena's only real battles so far were with and against fire-types, Cinna specifically, who didn't have a fire source as obvious as Jasper's. Before this incident he thought it was just natural nervousness, but now it seemed like fear played a part.

Trying to look any further into those ideas made him guilty though, and he fiddled with the strap of his bag for a full minute (honestly, this wasn't like him at all, this girl might be the death of him,) outside of her door before Marron had enough and launched himself out of his arms, tackling the doorknob with a rather frightening gusto. Serena herself opened the door at the noise, looking more tired and nervous than usual but still trying to smile at her chespin as he let go of the doorknob and clung to her leg instead.

Calem watched the two with a forced smile. There would be time to figure _everything_ out later. That was what he hoped, at least. He wouldn't ask her about the "incident", but there was something else he needed to know instead.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said, still with that pretend smile. "Do you want to get lunch?"

* * *

-:-

* * *

Serena could count on one hand the number of pokémon she was really comfortable around since the age of six up until Marron. Hen, Chick, Cery―

When Chick evolved to a fletchinder, Grace had to send him to live with her husband. It crushed Serena to suddenly find someone she loved terrifying, and it broke Grace's heart to leave her old friend behind. But they parted ways anyway, for the same reason Grace took Serena from Kanto, never stopping, never looking back.

It had always been that way, but now there was nowhere left to run.

* * *

 _-:-_

* * *

 _He's not going to ask_ , Serena sighed into her bubble tea. She didn't really know what to make of that, but she was grateful that he wasn't pushing for answers. _But I feel like I owe them an explanation_. Besides, the truth was guaranteed to come out during their journey, wasn't it?

 _You can't keep running from it, Serena,_ she reminded herself. _You told Grace you were trying to get over it- that's the only reason she let you out here!_

God, but did she really want to be here? Was it worth it, being forced to confront the fear and the memories? Would any of this really help her heal? She'd been hopeful at first, but that... _incident_ seemed to force her back to square one.

Blinking back tears or maybe a groan of frustration, she hastily took another sip of her drink as Calem lowered his newspaper. He had it earlier too, when he came to pick her up _―_ did he actually read them? Needing a distraction or something to do with his hands didn't really seem like a Calem thing, at least from what she saw him like so far.

He set the paper down next to his cleaned plate. The front page starred an article about Lysandre Labs, the inventors of the Holocaster device that hadn't made it out of Kalos yet, so Serena didn't find it that interesting. The problem was that it left her with nowhere else to really look besides Calem.

"Serena, I've been meaning to ask," Calem was saying, twisting a black bracelet around his wrist. It was too warm in the café for his jacket, and it was half-frustrating and half-humiliating to accept the thought that he looked nicer without it because the boy had _muscles_. It was also weird to think about how he'd borrowed one of her hairbands to tie his own back in a little ponytail, which made him look... adorable? "Do you want to travel with me?"

At some point during the brief pause where she'd momentarily _lost her mind,_ Serena had braced herself for a question that he _didn't_ ask. This one was a surprise, and always one with a strong command of her actions and words, she choked on a tapioca pearl. She recovered before Calem could even get an inch off his chair in concern, his ears exposed to show a wonderful pink tint. _Wait, what?_

"I already said I'd look after you _―_ " he tried.

"I didn't think you actually meant it," Serena squeaked. It wasn't something that could really be taken as hurtful or offensive, yet Calem still felt that being stabbed would be less painful.

"Won't I just slow you down?" Serena was continuing, stumbling a little over her own words. She was starting to curl her hair around her fingers again, the repeated motion of gold slipping down only to be twisted up again rather soothing. "Tierno said you're out to be Champion, and I don't think _―_ I don't know what I'm doing _―_ "

Calem gaped at her. "What? Serena, of course not, we're _friends, equals_ _―_ "

Then the little café they were in exploded in even _more_ sound as the front door swung open. People had been coming and going for the past half hour, but none had garnered as much attention as Kalos' sweetheart, Diantha Dove, who stood in the doorway in designer clothes with gold-rimmed sunglasses perched in her hair.

The famous actress smiled politely at the other patrons, the image of grace as she waltzed into the café. The few people who didn't have a heart attack at the sudden appearance of a celebrity waved to her, including Calem, to Serena's shock.

It also didn't help that Diantha seemed to veer off directly towards them as soon as she caught sight of Calem. Serena supposed that the situation couldn't get any worse as she sank in her seat, hoping to avoid the gazes that all turned on them.

"Calem!" Diantha's smile seemed much more genuine as she greeted the young man. "How have you been? Who's your lovely friend?"

Part of Calem's brain seemed to shut down, because for the first time in a while he found his cool facade slipping. Serena seemed close to having some sort of breakdown, but there wasn't anything he could do to help her with it in front of all these people. He schooled his expression back into its typical calm one, all the while feeling anything but calm.

"I've been fine, Miss Dove," he said with a smile that he hoped looked natural. "This is Serena. She's the fifth student in the Pokédex Project." Diantha's dark eyebrows shot up at that, sharp blue eyes assessing Serena more critically this time. Calem mentally stabbed himself.

"Are you taking the gym challenge?" she asked Serena, still looking her up and down. "I certainly hope to see you at the League someday. You look like you have quite a bit of potential."

Calem winced as the completely lost look on Serena's face edged closer to something like panic. "Diantha's our Champion, and a close friend to the professor," he explained hastily, only to regret it when Serena managed the impossible and freeze even more.

So, the situation obviously could get worse. The world just didn't want to work with Serena this time. Not only was a world-famous actress _talking_ to her, but said actress was also one of the strongest trainers in the world and _complimented_ her. Serena was more than aware of her heart rate going up and _maybe_ her breathing being screwed a bit, and there was a pounding in her ears. The other patrons were all focused on them at their tiny table and was everything just starting to get blurry or _―_?

Later, much later, she'd quietly recount this event to Alexa Dubois, pride and joy of the Lumiose Gazette and author of the biography Serena felt was completely unnecessary. That was when she'd admit that in spite of everything that would follow, she was incredibly grateful to see Lysandre Lyon for the first time that very same day.

That was because if it was a little odd that Diantha Dove chose this café to eat in and had people totally okay with it, it was completely two-hundred-percent bizarre that Lysandre Lyon, president and founder of Lysandre Labs and renown misanthrope, actually went out in public to meet her there.

"Oh, Mr. Lyon!" Diantha shot a blinding and apologetic smile at the two teenagers before she left to greet the giant of a man in the doorway like the café was her own home. Her tiny and delicate hand was practically engulfed by his, and Lysandre looked completely out of place in the sunny and cheery little café.

With all the attention gone from them as fast as it came, Serena became hyper-aware of her own senses. Calem's attention was also on the unlikely pair who were finally seated at an empty table, but beneath the table he gave her hand a squeeze both firm and gentle, coaxing her to relax. _Breathe,_ he mouthed at her, unable to say anything out loud when the entire room was listening to the two celebrities talk about beauty or something. There was a familiarity in the action that she felt was related to the gap in her memory after her... _attack_. So Serena took a deep breath, and the world eventually came to a stop and the two finally relaxed.

Well, _they_ were more relaxed, but the air in the rest of the café was charged and tense. Diantha's pretty face was twisted with annoyance, carefully sculpted eyebrows narrowed and red lips curled. Serena had completely missed most of her conversation with the mountain lion of a man, but she could tell exactly where it went.

"...I don't mean to be rude," Diantha was saying with iciness that didn't fit the image she had when she walked in, "But it's quite strange that you're such good friends with my Augustine."

Then Lysandre's face distorted with a look that had several people pushing their entire table away from them. It was a glacial and stony fury that almost scared Serena more than any fire-type could.

"We have to get going," Calem said suddenly, voice low as he stood and pulled his jacket back on again. Serena was apparently feeling well enough to be disappointed about it, but she hid it by picking up the plain crêpes they got for their pokémon and placing them in her bag. No one seemed to notice their movements, all fixated on what could easily become an explosive argument, and Calem took her hand to pull her out of the café. "Come on, Rena."

The post-lunchtime rush was a little more subdued and settled as they merged into the streets. It was still a wonderful day out, and the bright blue and whites of the sky peeked through thin slits in the quiet alleys Calem led her down, away from the busy streets and noise. He was still holding her hand, and the rosy tint of his ears suggested that he was well aware of this. Neither made any move to let go, though, and Serena stared at his back contemplatively as he pulled her along, a step ahead of her.

"They're close friends with the professor," Calem said suddenly. "Diantha and Lysandre, that is. A childhood friend and a student. I don't think he's ever actually introduced them though."

"...Is there a reason for that?" Serena asked tentatively.

"The professor, well... he's _eccentric_ but he does everything with purpose. I can kind of understand now. I don't know how much of that conversation you caught, but their opinions clash really badly."

They fell into silence again as they continued to walk. Two pichu ran past their feet, disappearing through a narrow side path. A tiny gray pokémon with unsettling eyes stared at them from shadows before disappearing.

"Did you really mean what you said back there? In the café?" Her voice, though often small and frail, was loud and oddly determined in the silence of the back alleys. Calem straightened, looking over his shoulder at her with the most serious look she'd seen on him yet.

"Serena, you wouldn't be slowing me down at all," he said firmly. His hand tightened around hers.

"If you really don't mind..."

"Of course I wouldn't."

His reply came as easily as saying his own name. Serena couldn't help the small, still hesitant smile on her lips as she lengthened her stride just a bit to walk side by side with him. "...Sure, I'll stay with you."

The day seemed brighter. The sun warmed the crowns of their hair as they broke out onto the main street again, the professor's lab standing tall before them against the open sky. Still hand-in-hand with Calem, Serena took another step to her future, feeling that maybe everything would be alright.

* * *

 **Augustine Sycamore**  
Kalos' national Pokemon Professor. ...He's kind of a huge dweeb, but people still adore and respect him, or at least tolerate him long enough to get whatever information they need. Close friends with both Diantha and Lysandre, but has somehow never had them in the same place at the same time.

 **Diantha Dove**  
Kalos' sweetheart, an talented actress and powerful trainer by her own right. A proud and graceful woman who takes her work seriously and balances it well. There are a lot of people desperate to knock her off her throne, and she's probably personally invited 90% of them.

 **Lysandre Lyon**  
President and owner of Lysandre Labs and inventor of the Holo Caster. Moody. Has probably never smiled once in his life. Unnerving to be around for too long, unless you're Professor Sycamore. Power levels are over 9000.

* * *

 _um, tbh, i was sorta losing motivation to write this, but then i thought about ponytail!calem and realized i couldnt let this go so easily. were going to meet some friends next chapter! a little group we saw in the original but never got to talk to. if theres errors in this chapter its because i finished this at like 2:30 in the morning._

 _i want to say a special thanks to alphinia, who left what im pretty sure is the longest and kindest review ive ever gotten! i really wish i could reply right now but oh my god im so tired. thank you very much alphinia and to everyone else whos been patient w me!_


End file.
